1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to method and apparatus for displaying garments and more particularly to pivotal neck and arm members connected by a plurality of friction hinges to a torso frame so as to facilitate the support and imaginative display of an upper garment which is secured tightly around the torso frame by clips connected to elastic straps extending from the torso frame.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known in the retail clothing business to display garments in show windows and stores in a manner that promotes sales of the garment. It has been the conventional practice for many years to display garments on mannequins made of papier-mache' which provide a full round configuration that simulates the human form for both the upper torso and the lower torso. Mannequins, however, due to their rigid construction, are limited in their ability to imaginatively display an item of wearing apparel. The principal objection to mannequins is that they are stiff figured and do not impart an action-like pose for display of a garment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,260 discloses a garment display rack for supporting garments on a lower torso frame that is formed by a plurality of pivotally connected members which are adapted for independent pivotal movement to preselected angular positions along the length of the display rack to generate an imaginative pose for displaying the garment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,294,295 discloses a garment display mannequin for displaying shirts, sweaters, jackets and other similar garments in which "full round" upper and lower hollow shell forms are mounted on a tube which is telescopically arranged between the upper and lower forms to permit adjusting the height of the mannequin for showing an upper garment of any length on the mannequin. Detachable rod-like arms are connected to the shoulders of the upper frame. The arms include upper and lower portions which are angularly adjustable relative to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,707,070 discloses an upper torso display form that includes a vertical rod telescopically supported on a base. At the upper end of the rod is connected a shoulder rod which is connected at its end portions to a wire centrally bent to complete a loop with the upper shoulder and form an upper torso. Extending from the shoulders are arm members that include a plurality of tubular sections and spherical sections strung on a wire form extending through the tubular sections. The tubular and spherical sections are held in frictional engagement with each other thereby permitting arm sections to be swung up or down or toward the front or toward the rear of the torso frame. This structure is intended to present a realistic appearance to a garment, such as a blouse, displayed on the form.
British Pat. No. 635,459 is an example of a device for displaying an upper garment that includes a wire-like frame mounted on a base and including vertically and laterally adjustable frame members which permit adjustment of the bust measurement so that a garment, such as a blouse, can be tightly drawn over the frame. British Pat. No. 678,463 is an example of a bust form that is provided with a pair of shoulder portions which are hinged to a main torso frame. Spring means are provided to normally press the shoulders outwardly and thereby facilitate selective positioning of the shoulders on the main torso frame. Further, British Pat. No. 826,764 and French Pat. No. 1,123,504 are examples of full figure dress forms that utilize wire or tubular members that form connected upper and lower torsos. The arm and leg members are pivotally connected to the main supporting frame to permit adjustments in the manner in which upper and lower garments are displayed.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,279,517; 2,620,099; 2,796,206; 2,814,424; 3,033,429 and 3,084,837 are further examples of known devices that incorporate the concept of a traditional mannequin-like form with means for adjusting the shoulder width and the length of a torso so that the display form can be utilized for more than one type of garment. While it has been suggested by the prior art devices to modify the well known papier-mache' mannequin to include shoulder and arm members that impart more action oriented poses to the display form and to depart from the full-round configuration of a mannequin, the known garment display forms do not provide structure which satisfactorily displays and supports an upper garment.
The dress forms of the tubular construction do not provide shoulder and arm members have sufficient surface area for supporting the garment in a life-like pose. Upper garments displayed on a tubular or wire constructed torso form are loosely displayed so as to hang or drape in an unattractive manner in comparison with the display of the garment accomplished with the full-round configuration of a papier-mache' mannequin. The principal advantages achieved with the tubular or wire-like forms is the adjustability which is available in positioning the arm and neck portions relative to the bust. This, however, is not available with the traditional mannequin form. Therefore there is need for an upper garment display rack that is operable to attractively display a garment as it would be naturally worn and permit the garment to be displayed in a variety of imaginative poses.
With the traditional papier-mache' mannequin, as well as the tubular display forms above discussed, it is the practice to secure an upper garment such as a shirt or a blouse, to the display form by the use of a plurality of straight pins. This operation is time consuming and requires skilled labor. It is well known in order to display a blouse or shirt in a tucked and pleated manner on a form, that at least two dozen straight pins are required. The use of straight pins to secure a garment to an upper torso display form is therefore a high labor, intensive operation.
Therefore there is further need for an upper torso display form that permits securing a garment in an attractive fashion to the form without the need for straight pins and can be carried out efficiently without the need for highly skilled labor.